DECEMBER 9, 2016

Fortifying the Virtue of Fortitude

Psalm 67:36 professes: God is wonderful in his saints; the God of Israelhimself will give power and fortitude to his people. Therefore, fortitude is agift of God.

St. Bonaventure

Is Fortifying Fortitude An Exercise In Redundancy?

The name of the virtue (and gift) of fortitude, derives from the Latinword fortis, strength. We see this in many familiar English words. A militarystronghold is a called a fort, and if we want to strengthen something further,perhaps that fort or even our breakfast cereal, well, well fortify it with planksand stones, or, in the latter case, with vitamins, in the hope that they willfortify us when we eat them. Fortifying fortitude then, means strengtheningstrength, but it is clearly not redundant when it comes to the Holy Spiritsgift.St. Thomas was well aware that some theologians conflated the virtue and thegift, thinking they were but two names for one and the same thing. So, afteraddressing the virtue of fortitude with remarkable thoroughness in a fulltwelve articles in the Summa Theologica, he addresses in two additionalarticles the gift of fortitude and just how it differs from and fortifies thevirtue. The natural virtue of fortitude is a firmness of mind that allows us todo the good and endure what is evil, especially when our actions involve thingsthat are arduous or difficult.Man does possess the capacity to exercise such firmness, both inaccomplishing arduous goods and in enduring grievous evil, and this is thestuff of the virtue of fortitude.

The gift of fortitude, however, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, allowsman not only to struggle to achieve his ends despite difficulties, but actuallyto achieve his final end. Through virtuous acts of fortitude, perhaps to defendones loved ones or country, a person might well be thwarted by death, butthrough the Holy Spirits gift of fortitude, that person can overcome evendeath and achieve his ultimate end of everlasting life with God in heaven.Further, the gift can infuse within ones mind a certain confidence that willdispel the most powerful fears, as we see in the cases of the holy martyrs, whocherish the gift of fortitude more than even their own bodies.Our opening quotation makes clear that St. Bonaventure concurs on thespecial significance of the gift of fortitude over and above the virtue. He startshis lecture on this gift by first describing it from the perspective of the giver;second from the perspective of the recipient; and finally in terms of the workthat comes from it. Then he elaborates, as is characteristic of him, with awealth of biblical citations and allusions. He expounds on the first point fromthe perspective of the giver with yet another set of threes: from the perspectiveof God as Giver, as Redeemer, and as the One who dwells within us.

1. The gift of fortitude is given to us by God, who protects us.

Citing Proverbs 18:10, Bonaventure notes: The name of the Lord is a very strong tower. The just person runs to it and will be exalted. God is the source of strength that he imputes to all things, and this strength is arranged hierarchically, so that Gods strength is also passed down to us through the Church He has established.2. The gift of fortitude is given to us as well from God who redeems us through the incarnation of the divine Word. Isaiah 12:23 states: The Lord . . . is my fortitude and my glory. The Lord has become my salvation. You will draw waters with joy from the fountains of the Savior. He ends by noting that while Christ became weak for our sake, the weakness of God is stronger than human beings (see 1 Cor. 1:25).3. The third point is that the influence of fortitude comes from God dwelling within us. Thus, Micah 3:8 states: I am filled with the strength of the Lord, with judgment, and power.Are You Choosing Weakness Over Strength?This article is from Dr. Vosts The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Click image to preview or order.

Fortitude is the guardian of the virtues, and the gift of fortitude ratchets up thedefenses to make them impenetrable when it is deployed. In what ways mightwe be sabotaging our own defenses?

Aristotle, and St. Thomas following him, spoke of the moral virtues as goldenmeans, dispositions to act in just the right manner, situated at just the rightdistance between the vices of deficiency on one side and the vices of excesseson the other.

Fearfulness or moral weakness opposes fortitude as a deficiency, while a

foolhardy fearlessness and reckless daring oppose fortitude as vices of excess.There are some souls so overblown with temerity that they distort the strengthof fortitude by taking unnecessary risks, jumping in where angels fear totread, and ignoring the wisdom of Sirach (13:2): Do not lift a weight beyondyour strength. Far more common, though, is that vice of deficiency, thedisposition toward timidity and fearfulness that may come to guide our actions(or lack thereof) when situations arise in which we should defend the Faithand stand up and speak out for what we know is right.Although this is not the place for a detailed examination of what St. Thomascalled the integral parts of the virtue of fortitude, they bear a brief mentionbefore we zoom in on the gift. In terms of the kinds of positive attitudes andactions that are required for the virtue of fortitude to flourish, we find thevirtues of magnanimity, literally greatness of soul, that guides our thoughtsand actions to great and not petty things, to things that truly matter and aretruly honorable, even though they may be difficult to obtain. Themagnanimous person seeks lofty goals and is not disturbed if others do notunderstand or approve, as long as he knows that what hes seeking is morallyright and consistent with the Faith.The other positive virtue aligned with fortitude is that of magnificence, thehabitual tendency to try to make or build great things, even if this requires agreat outlay of money, for example, in the construction of a church, a school, ahospital, a Catholic radio or TV station or network, or any grand, worthwhileproject. Through fortitude we overcome undue fears of threats to our bodiesand souls; through magnificence we overcome undue threats to our wallets!Recalling that the gift of fortitude perfects the natural virtue of fortitude, wemight ask ourselves if we have given the gift a good base to build upon.Rather than growing in magnanimity, have we allowed ourselves to becomeoverly influenced by our modern culture and mired inthe pusillanimity, smallness of soul, that focuses too much on the pettythings of the world? Or have we overshot the mark, falling prey to the kindof presumption, ambition, or vainglory through which we treat as great notthe things of God but our own thoughts, desires, and thirst for fame or power?Rather than displaying magnificence and contributing generously to the needsof the Church, have we fallen prey to the vice of stinginess or meanness,contributing little to noble projects, while perhaps at the same time, displayingthe vice of consumption, or waste, spending money extravagantly on thingsthat dont really matter, just to satisfy our whims or to build our reputations?Even more central to fortitude than these allied positive virtues that guide ustoward the right actions are two virtues that perfect fortitudes capacity toendure. The first allied virtue is the patience whereby we endure the sufferingsproduced by others or by events outside our control without giving in tosorrow and defeat and without lashing out inappropriately. The second alliedvirtue is the perseverance whereby we endure in virtuous thoughts andbehaviors even when the going gets tough and stays tough, and when ourattempts to achieve virtuous goals are met by obstacles and delays. In thegrandest sense, perseverance comes into play as we try to persevere in thepractice of our Faith throughout our lifetime, for as St. Matthew tells us, Hewho endures to the end will be saved (Matt.24:13). So we might ask ourselvesif we have built up or undermined our capacities to endure in fortitude.Rather than growing in patience in dealing with a difficult situation or adifficult person, have we demonstrated instead impatience by lashing out atthe person or perhaps by fleeing the situation, such as refusing to care for aloved one because of his abrasive words or actions toward us? Have wedemonstrated resignation by staying the course, but in a spirit of sadness ordefeat? Have we overshot the golden mean of patience by anundue subservience, perhaps by actively seeking out and staying in abusiverelationships, displaying what is sometimes called doormat behavior inmodern parlance, allowing ourselves to be stepped on by others without areasonable word of complaint? Have we displayed what we mightcall pseudo-martyrdom by willfully seeking out such relationships withothers that produce obstacles to our own good, and then complaining of thepains we must endure to all who will hear us?Clearly there are many questions we might ask ourselves as to how we mightundermine the walls to our souls that are guarded by the virtue of fortitude,but what about the gift? Well, the gift builds upon the virtue, so all the samequestions are still worth the asking. As for other obstacles contrary to the gift,I direct readers back to the story of Samson. Samsons strength and couragewere unmatched, but when he diverted his attention to worldly pleasures anddwelled on them in thought until they replaced God at the center of his heart,he unwittingly, in a sense, chose to forgo the Holy Spirits mighty gifts. Ofcourse, even in his life we see the true merciful nature of the Holy Spirit asLove and Gift. For when Samson repented, those seven locks began to growonce again and God answered his prayer for new strength.

The Power of Prayer for Power

The first prayer that comes to my mind when I think of the gift of fortitude isthe simple oft-heard Lord, give me strength! In fact, there is nothing at allwrong with short, sweet prayers like that to call upon God at times when weface lifes difficulties and could use some instantaneous spiritual fortification.

Sts. Thomas and Bonaventure concur that the petition in the Lords PrayerGive us this day our daily bread pertains to the gift of fortitude. Bonaventureexplains that this is because bread strengthens the human heart, echoingPsalm 104:15, and Thomas chimes in that this gift of fortitude prevents mansheart from fainting through fear of lacking necessities, and makes him trustwithout wavering that God will provide him with whatever he needs. For thisreason the Holy Spirit, the giver of this fortitude, teaches us to pray to Godto give us this day our daily bread. Theologians have long noted deepermeanings involving the bread in this petition, and Thomas explains that it alsorefers to the sacramental bread that is the Eucharist and to the Word of God:Not by bread alone doth man live but by every word that proceedeth from themouth of God. Those words were spoken to Satan by Him who is the livingbread which came down from heaven (John 6:51). When the devil tries ourfortitude, we might both echo Christs words and heed His advice with heartydaily servings of the bread of Scripture!Lets conclude here with St. Alphonsus Liguoris petition: Grant me the spiritof fortitude that I may bear my cross with Thee, and that I may overcome withcourage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation.

The Blessings and Gifts Fortitude Fosters

St. Thomas defends St. Augustines precedent in his writings on the Sermonon the Mount in matching the gifts to the Beatitudes in the order in which theyare listed in Scripture and finding fitting correspondences between them.Augustine, therefore, matched the fourth beatitude of hungering andthirsting after justice to the fourth gift of fortitude. Thomas acknowledges thatwhile the gift of piety is related to the virtue of justice, fortitude is aboutdifficult things, and it is very difficult not only to do virtuous deeds in accordwith justice, but furthermore to do them with an unsatiable desire, which maybe signified by hunger and thirst for justice. (I dont know about you, butwhen I read of such an unquenchable desire for justice despite the mostenormous of difficulties, my thoughts turn to the gift of fortitude so mightilydisplayed in the works of St. Teresa of Calcutta.)As for the fruits that fortitude fosters, St. Thomas suggests patience, whichendures evils, and longanimity (perseverance), which holds up over longdelays to accomplish worthwhile goods.The Fortitude of the Blessed MotherWhat could be more difficult for a loving mother to bear than the torture andexecution of her child, and how could she bear this without the Holy Spiritsgift of fortitude? Fr. Formby recalls the example of Hagar, Abrahams maidwho bore him the child Ishmael. Hagar and Ishmael were sent away, and theirwater ran out as they wandered in the wilderness. Presuming her son woulddie, Hagar laid him under a bush and went a away about the distance of abowshot, saying, Let me not look upon the death of the child (Gen. 21:16),but God intervened to save them. The Blessed Mother, on the contrary, wasblessed with the fortitude to stand close by the Cross and witness with her eyesthe suffering and death of her innocent Son because she knew it was His willand Gods plan. Perhaps her example of holy fortitude could help give us thestrength to stand by and not flee from the sufferings of our loved ones as theyapproach the ends of their lives on earth.

The Fortitude of the Cross

Of course, it was the ultimate act of fortitude to experience those physicalsufferings that Mary observed, knowing as well that His Mothers love andfortitude allowed her to be there for Him to the gruesome end of His earthlymission, despite all the sorrow she suffered. The human natural virtue offortitude, as we have seen, has its limits. Christ prayed, My Father, if it bepossible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt(Matt. 26:39), and yet through the Holy Spirits gift of unfailing fortitude,Christ drank the suffering of that cup dry, as His Father had willed, so thatthrough His Passion, death, and Resurrection we would have the chance topersevere to the end and share in eternal bliss with the Holy Trinity and to say,like St. Paul, I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). Editors note: This article is an excerpt from Dr.Vosts The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Every Spiritual Warriors Guide toGods Invincible Gifts, which is available as an ebook and paperbackfrom Sophia Institute Press.Tagged as: Best of Week, Bonaventure, fortitude, Seven Gifts of the HolySpirit, Sophia Excerpts, spiritual gifts, virtue78

By Dr. Kevin Vost

Dr. Kevin Vost, Psy D. is the author of Memorize the Faith, The Seven DeadlySins, The One Minute Aquinas, as well as numerous other books and articles.He has taught psychology at the University of Illinois at Springfield, LincolnLand Community College, and MacMurray College. He is a Research ReviewCommittee Member for American Mensa, which promotes the scientific studyof human intelligence. You can find him at drvost.com.